Grandpa and I strolled out of our outpost to parley with the pair of orcs. I left the gate down. If we did have to run for it, it would save us a little bit of time. We stopped just inside range of our turrets. If the orcs tried to attack us with their weapons, we would try to draw them back toward our fortifications.

The wizard orc spoke. "I am Theram’Goss, warchief of the Broken Tusk clan," he said. "I seek to parley with your leader."

"That'd be me," Grandpa said. "Major Louis Twofeather, U.S. Army."

The orc blinked. "That is a title of some merit, my System tells me."

"Used to mean something. Not sure it does here anymore," Grandpa said. "But I'm not here to chit-chat. What can we do for you, fellows?"

The orc spread his hands wide. He gave a great bow. "To an enemy far more honorable and powerful than we were led to believe. Our assessment of your strength was completely incorrect, but more than that,” he said. "You have shown great courage and great cleverness. Not many of your fellows have done as well."

"Oh, you fought a lot of earthlings?"

"We have fought humans before," the orc said, "though you are the first from this system. Generally, human miners are weak and cowardly. You though, you take risks, but not foolish ones. It was very clever of you to target our Rek'hapmah chamber."

For the first time, the system didn't bother to translate a word. I wondered why.

"And then to steal our Hole Punch as well? That was well done.”

I had to hide a snicker. So the bizarre-looking siege weapon was called a Hole Punch. I suppose there were worse names, like Wall Blaster 9000 or whatever Veda called it.

"Tell me what you're here for," Grandpa said. "If you're looking to leave without a fight, be my guests. We won't chase you back to your ship. If you're just trying to kill time, well, the moment I think that's what you're doing, my team puts our next plan in action. You will not reach the end of the one hour limit before we spill enough of your blood to make you pay."

The Orc chieftain nodded. "I know some other species would hold back and wait until a later time before attacking, but that is not the way my kin and I operate. You have won a great strategic victory on many fronts. We would like to negotiate with you for the redemption of our own honor."

"Oh?"

"A duel," the Orc chieftain said.

Grandpa raised an eyebrow. "Now why exactly would we fight a duel when we're holding the upper hand? We're not going to cede our outpost."

"No, indeed," the Orc chieftain said. "However, a duel will allow me and my men to prove to our superiors that either you are truly great fighters who have dealt us an earned victory, or perhaps that we could have triumphed and we attempted a different strategy, and that it was my foolishness in leadership that cost us this victory. If that is the case, they will doubtless require me to apologize to my ancestors in person for this error."

I tried to think through all that. "Wait, so you want to have a duel —"

"And record it," the Orc chief said, "with your permission. System can give the recordings, but we will need your permission to do so."

"Right," I said. "You want to have a duel, record it, and show it to your superiors. And if you win, you're going to have to commit seppuku?"

The Orc cocked his head to one side. "The system is translating your concept. Yes, I believe that is the correct interpretation."

"You've got to be nuts," I said.

The Orc shrugged. "This is our way. If you will agree to the duel, we will conduct it here in the sight of your folk and mine. Should you win, we will pay you a reparation as apology for taking a worthy foe so lightly. If we win, we shall take our recording and leave."

This has to be a trap, I told Grandpa in chat. There's got to be a catch.

They could be stalling for time, Grandpa suggested.

Hang on a second, I said. I sent a message to Juana. We need you back here right now. ASAP. Emergency.

Then I spoke to the orc. "I’m willing to agree to the duel as long as we have one of our people here to oversee the agreement. She's got the ability to create contracts that the system will back up."

The Orc chieftain's eyes grew wide. "You Earth humans have a Makana, a wise woman, with you? One blessed by the System? Perhaps you are not the easy prey we usually seek." He raised his hands. "Perhaps I shall be vindicated."

Juana replied that she was on her way. I looked at Grandpa. "This is my duel," I said. I sent him a quick message. I think we can get even more out of this. Remember how I always get the first shot? Grandpa's mouth curled up at the edges, but he made no other sign that he had understood me.

"Our wise woman is on the way," Grandpa said. "While she comes, Orc chieftain Theram’Goss, tell me, where are your people from? Another world like this?"

"The Orc homeland was one of the first reality engines to be exploited by the Exploitation Committee once they formed 15,000 years ago," the Orc chieftain said. "Though my people suffered grievously in the years since, we have found our place. We do not like to live at ease without earning it, so many of us serve as mercenaries and miners for the Coalition. It is always good when we find a worthy adversary."

"Uh-huh," Grandpa said. "Were you working for yourselves or on a contract?"

"I will not reply," the Orc chieftain said. "My duties do not include revealing my clan's secrets."

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Juana hurried down the hill toward us. I had given her the very short briefing as she came. She took a deep breath as she stopped between Grandpa and the Orcs. Smoothing her hair, she turned to the Orc chieftain and gave a polite nod of her head. "Greetings, Chief Theram’Goss. I am Juana Lopez of the Misfits Guild. I am here to oversee the bargain between you and these men of my Coalition."

I stepped forward. "I will agree to duel with Chief Theram’Goss. He and his men may record it and return it to his people. I stipulate that if I win, they may return without further hassle from us. They have promised to give a reward." I looked at the chieftain. He named a sum. Juana's eyebrows shot up. "If he wins, then they also return without paying us a ransom."

I had a thought. The amount that the chieftain had offered, was it indeed a ransom? The equivalent of his life. If I won, killing him here, he would have his life spared and be able to return to his duties. I would have to look into that some other time.

"Conditions of the duel are as follows," I said. "We will mark out a circle, 15 meters from a center point in all directions. The chief and I will stand at the center of the circle, back to back, and take ten paces away from each other. We will then turn and use any ranged weapon we like to take a shot at each other. If that shot is not decisive, then we may engage in any other form of combat desired. Anyone who leaves the circle admits defeat."

The orc chieftain was nodding in agreement. "Agreed," he said."One final stipulation. If any other member of a team enters the circle during the duel, or assists from outside the circle, that team forfeits. Assistance includes healing or any ability affecting the inside of the circle, but shouting warnings or encouragement is allowed."

"Agreed," I said at once.

"Agreement witnessed and notarized." Juana used her notary stamp on her magic clipboard. She pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to the chief. "A copy for you."

He read it over and vanished it into thin air, then shouted to his people while grandpa relayed the details of our agreement to the rest of our team.

Meanwhile, I marked out the dueling circle. Everybody on both teams wanted to watch, so we let them come down. The humans stood on one side of the circle, the orcs on the other. I reminded them all not to cross over the line.

"It's alright," I told them. "Even if I get killed, I'll respawn."

"Won't he just throw the fight?" Lakshmi asked. "After all, if you win, he's off the hook."

"I have a feeling his honor will require him to put up a decent fight," I said. "I'm gonna take it seriously. I just want to remind all of you, no matter what happens, don't cross over that boundary. You lose a fight for us, Veda’s gonna have our hides. Did you hear how much money is on the line?"

I walked to the center of the ring, gave Chief Theram’Goss a friendly salute, and we stood back to back.

Sage stood outside the circle, her hand raised. "On the count of ten," she said. "One, two." I took a stride forward, then another. She counted down dramatically, but not too slowly, and I paced along to her count. "Ten," she finished.

I turned and drew my revolver. Chief Theram’Goss, standing a good fifty feet from me, near the edge of the circle, had a bulbous pistol in his hand. He fired it at me, but nothing came out. He looked at it, frowning, raised it, fired again. Still nothing.

"What's this trick?" he demanded.

"Sorry," I said. "So I've got an ability that says I get the first shot in every duel."

"Then take your shot," he demanded, holding his arms open wide. "I am ready."

"Yeah, but I'm not," I said. I deliberately holstered my gun, then stuck my thumbs through my gun belt. "See, I was just hoping you would clear up something for me. My employer thinks that Alabaster Sky is behind this. She thinks they're trying to make a move on us to put pressure on the closest couple alpha nodes. I'd really, really like to know if that's the case, or if we've got a different enemy I don't know about."

His nostrils flared. "Why do you think anyone hired us at all?"

"Because talking to you, I am damn sure if you were here for your own reasons, you'd still be attacking us. I think you stopped because your employer refuses to pay the fine you would have if you incur the respawn timer penalty. I think they told you to call us off, and you're trying to reclaim whatever scraps of honor you can with this duel."

The orc's eyes widened, then narrowed. "You understand much, Earthling. Do you have similar customs of honor?"

"We've got our own kinds of honor," I said. "Right now, my honor is wrapped up in keeping my family and friends safe. So I'd really like to know who's behind you."

"My contract says I should not reveal details." "Ah," I said, "so you do have a contract."

The Orc chieftain glared at me. Then, to my surprise, he threw back his head and guffawed. "You humans are tricky," he said. "I think I like you. Shall we get on with this?"

"How about a deal?" I said. "You answer three questions, yes or no. Then I'll take my shot."

"Very well, then."

I paused, collecting my thoughts. "Did Alabaster Sky hire you?"

Theram’Goss shook his big green head. "No."

"Was it one of the powers behind the two closest alpha nodes?" The Orc grinned.

"Yes." I racked my memory for the names and came up with one of them. "Was it Existalis?”

Theram’Goss shook his head. "No," he said. "And now I can be glad that I have not revealed my sponsor's name to you."

He winked. We both knew that by process of elimination I had determined who his contract was with. Vortali. The Proxima surrogates. I sent a note to Veda as I prepared my next ploy.

I deliberately removed a round from my gun belt, cracking open the cylinder and thumbing it into place. "I respect you and your people, Chieftain Theram’Goss," I said. "I would very much enjoy if we had productive business dealings again."

"As would I," the Orc said.

I clicked the cylinder back into place and cocked my gun. I raised the revolver and fired. My bullet flew true, no Trick Shots required, and struck the Orc Chieftain square in the center of his chest.

It exploded, hurling him backward twenty feet and out of the dueling ring. I only had a handful of Knockback rounds, but had decided to use one for this duel.

[The winner!] the System Announcer proclaimed. I looked overhead in gratitude. Juana's skill was really something, to be binding on the System itself. [Shad Williams of Misfits Guild has defeated Chieftain Theram’Goss of the Firebrand Cooperative].

I holstered my gun and stepped out of the circle. The Orc got to his feet, dusting himself off. "That was not the match I had expected," he said.

"Nope, but it's the match you got," I retorted. "Keep in mind, I don't know what humans you've dealt with, but Earth humans, we're tricky. We don't risk losing a fight when there's something important at stake. Like a Warchief's ransom, or the life of an honorable man."

I wasn't sure what good etiquette was in Orc society, but I stuck out my hand. Theram’Goss looked at it, then clasped his own hand around my wrist. I tightened my fingers around his wrist in response, and we shook.

I walked back to our outpost on wobbly legs, relieved my ploy had worked. I had been a little worried that I would offend the Chief with my non-lethal approach to our duel, but he seemed to have taken it in good humor.

We regrouped inside the outpost. "Let's get the crafters and farmers back to work," Grandpa said. "They've lost enough time here."

"Did the Orcs send the money over?"

"System transferred the money as soon as the duel was done," Juana said. "Our coffers are full."

"And we've got a really cool siege weapon, too," Sage said, looking over the Wall Burster 9000. I wasn't sure I liked that name any better than "Hole Punch."

"Yes, but we're not planning on sieging anyone else's outpost, so it's fairly useless," Juana said. "I should see if I can sell it on the open market."

"And have someone bring it right back here and have to do all that again?" I said. "No way. We'll keep it just in case."

"What kind of emergency would we need something like that for?" Juana demanded, eyeing it with revulsion.

I shrugged, not wanting to admit I had already thought of several scenarios. Veda and Juana wouldn't approve of any of them, I was sure.